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Category: Politics

  • EU set to increase tariffs on Chinese EVs

    EU set to increase tariffs on Chinese EVs

    Extra tariffs on China-made electric cars will go ahead as planned, despite ongoing talks with China and will apply as of Wednesday….reports Asian Lite News

    The European Commission has given the final green light to steep tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) made in China, officially closing the probe that began one year ago, as per Euro News.

    According to Euro News, the extra tariffs on China-made electric cars will go ahead as planned, despite ongoing talks with China and will apply as of Wednesday.

    They are set to remain in place for the next five years.

    Meanwhile, Brussels will continue negotiations with Beijing so as to secure a deal on minimum prices that can replace the tariffs. It was observed by Euro News that this solution which was advocated by Germany is highly complex and would be difficult to implement.

    Despite the introduction of tariffs, Brussels claims it remains committed to finding a solution with Beijing through enforcement of customs duties and rules which are compatible with the World Trade Organization (WTO), although this remains elusive.

    “By adopting these proportionate and targeted measures after a rigorous investigation, we’re standing up for fair market practices and for the European industrial base,” said Valdis Dombrovskis, the Commission’s executive vice president in charge of trade.

    As per Euro News, the entry into force was widely expected after the inconclusive vote earlier this month where member states failed to mount the necessary majority in favour or against the measures.

    The Commission invoked its trade powers to break the impasse and approve the duties, which come on top of the existing 10% rate and vary according to brands.

    For instance, for Tesla, it is 7.8 per cent, BYD, 17 per cent; Geely, 18.8 per cent; SAIC at 35.3 per cent; other EV producers in China who cooperated in the investigation but have not been individually sampled, 20.7 per cent, and other EV producers in China who did not cooperate, 35.3 per cent.

    Euro News reported that the executive argues that additional tariffs are necessary to offset the effects of the subsidies it claims Beijing is injecting on a large scale across its domestic EV sector.

    The financial aid provided to the Chinese producers has resulted in them selling their products at lower prices than compared with those of their European competitors, the Commission attested.

    Because of this it was observed that the Chinese firms’ EV sales in Europe have increased at extraordinary pace with their market share jumping from 1.9 per cent in 2020 to 14.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2024, according to the Commission’s estimations.

    It was observed that if strict measures are not taken, EU’s carmakers would suffer unsustainable losses and be pushed out of the lucrative market of net-zero mobility, leading to the closure of plants and the dismissal of thousands of workers, Euro News reported.

    “There’s a clear and imminent threat to our car industry not making the transition to electric vehicles and being therefore wiped out,” a senior EU official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

    As per Euro News, China denounced the Commission’s probe from the outset as a “naked protectionist act” consistently denying the existence of subsidies, describing the findings “artificially constructed and exaggerated,” and threatening retaliatory measures against the EU’s dairy, brandy and pork industries, setting alarm bells ringing in some capitals.

    “We disagreed on each and every fact that we established in the investigation,” the senior EU official said. “It was a broad disagreement.”

    In recent times when the US and Canada have put 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs, Europe continues to remain one of the wealthy markets available for Beijing’s high-end products. (ANI)

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  • Maryam calls for ‘smog diplomacy’ with India

    Maryam calls for ‘smog diplomacy’ with India

    Nawaz had given out similar remarks earlier in this month as Pakistan continues to grapple with high pollution levels from the smog….reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has emphasised the importance of cross-border cooperation with Indian Punjab to address the increasing smog, describing the issue as a humanitarian crisis which requires joint action, Geo TV reported.

    While addressing an event in Lahore on Wednesay, she suggested that she may write to her Indian counterpart to reiterate her commitment to “smog diplomacy”.

    Nawaz had given out similar remarks earlier in this month as Pakistan continues to grapple with high pollution levels from the smog.

    She asked the Indian side to have a “matching response” just like how Pakistan is taking steps to combat smog.

    As per Geo TV, Maryam Nawaz called for collaborative efforts to tackle it effectively. “If both Punjabs do not join hands, then we cannot battle smog”, she said.

    Earlier on October 29, the Air Quality Index (AQI) touched the mark 708 in Lahore and it topped the world map in the list of most polluted cities of the world, reported Dawn.

    With PM2.5 concentrations spiking to 431 ug/m3–86 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual safe limit–the health of millions of Lahore residents is increasingly jeopardised, Dawn reported.

    Private air quality monitors across Lahore reported even higher AQI levels, with readings reaching a staggering 953 in Gulberg, 810 near Pakistan Engineering Services, and 784 on Syed Maratab Ali Road.

    The Environment Protection and Culture Change Department (EPCCD) dismissed these readings, stating that government monitors use lower-cost sensors and that private data “could not be considered reliable,” reported Dawn.

    The EPCCD also acknowledged Pakistan’s lack of comprehensive research into smog sources, admitting that official estimates of vehicular emissions range widely from 40 to 80 per cent of Lahore’s pollution load.

    Contributing factors include 4.5 million motorcycles, over a million cars, and numerous factories and brick kilns, many operating without emission controls.

    Experts stated that the severe pollution in Lahore can no longer be dismissed as seasonal, with hazardous smog persisting even in summer months, a sign of “systemic environmental mismanagement.”

    The crisis stems not just from stubble burning but from uncontrolled vehicular emissions, outdated industrial practices, and ineffective environmental oversight. (ANI)

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  • Rahul to launch Maha poll campaign on Nov 6

    Rahul to launch Maha poll campaign on Nov 6

    The campaign will kickstart from Nagpur with a ‘Samvidhan Sanman Sammelan’ followed by the MVA Guarantee release in Mumbai….reports Asian Lite News

    The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will kickstart the Maharashtra Assembly poll campaign from Nagpur with a ‘Samvidhan Sanman Sammelan’ followed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Guarantee release in Mumbai on November 6.

    Speaking to the media, AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala and state Congress President Nana Patole said that MVA leaders – Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and leaders of other alliance partners shall attend the Mumbai rally.

    Chennithala said that there are no disputes over seat-sharing among the MVA allies and in those constituencies where alliance candidates have filed nominations as rebels against the official nominees shall withdraw them in the next couple of days.

    “We are in talks with the Samajwadi Party and others… There is no question of ‘friendly contests’ among the MVA partners. Wherever MVA candidates have filled up nomination forms against each other, shall take them back, we shall fight unitedly,” Chennithala asserted.

    Here, he took the opportunity to slam the ruling MahaYuti allies Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party for the confusion prevailing in their ranks ahead of the elections.

    “The BJP has fielded candidates even in the seats belonging to the Shiv Sena and NCP quotas… This marks the BJP’s moves to eliminate both the parties. The MahaYuti regime is riddled with corruption, inflation, and unemployment and it has looted Maharashtra in the past two-and-half years, the people of the state will teach them a lesson,” Chennithala declared.

    He reiterated that industries from Maharashtra are being shifted to other states, and though the MahaYuti has announced a slew of decisions in recent weeks, like the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme and others, but warned that implementing them would be difficult with no money in the government’s treasury.

    Besides Chennithala and Patole, other senior state leaders like Varsha Gaikwad, M. Arif Naseem Khan, Nana Gawande, Wajahat Mirza, Brij Dutt and more were present on the occasion.

    Later, Chennithala visited the home of Thackeray in Bandra to sort out the issues of rebel candidates or friendly contestants in several of the 288 Assembly constituencies which could mar the prospects of the official MVA nominees in the November 20 elections.

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  • Panel proposes comprehensive reforms for NEET

    Panel proposes comprehensive reforms for NEET

    Among the committee’s key recommendations is a shift towards online and hybrid exam formats….reports Asian Lite News

    A committee led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan has proposed several comprehensive reforms to address issues within India’s entrance examination system, especially following a recent NEET paper leak. Submitted to the Ministry of Education, the report aims to improve exam integrity, bolster data security, and optimize testing processes nationwide.

    Among the committee’s key recommendations is a shift towards online and hybrid exam formats. Full online testing is advised where feasible, while a hybrid model, which would involve digital question paper distribution to centers and traditional paper-based responses by candidates, could be applied where complete digital transition is not possible. This would modernize exam administration, improve security, and minimize logistical risks associated with physical handling.

    To manage the large number of NEET aspirants—about two million applicants registered this year alone—the committee has proposed a multi-stage examination process, similar to the structure of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). This phased approach would allow for more effective screening and better control over candidate volumes.

    In relation to the Central University Entrance Test (CUET), the committee suggests streamlining the test subjects. Presently, CUET offers over 50 subject options, which often overlap with topics students have already covered in their board exams. The panel argues that focusing on general aptitude and core subject knowledge, instead of re-examining board topics, would enhance efficiency, reduce redundancy, and concentrate the CUET’s function on generating college admission merit lists.

    Strengthening the National Testing Agency (NTA) forms another critical area of the committee’s recommendations. They advocate for the NTA to increase its number of permanent staff, as the current dependency on contractual workers may undermine exam consistency and administration quality. Furthermore, the NTA is encouraged to expand its network of exam centers, minimizing reliance on private centers that might pose security risks.

    Data security remains a top priority, with the committee strongly advocating for digital transmission of question papers. This change aims to curb unauthorized access, such as the recent NEET leak that reportedly stemmed from paper mishandling after reaching the exam center. A digital approach would enable questions to be securely released just before exams, thereby reducing the risk of leaks.

    In a bid to create a fairer exam environment, the committee has also recommended limiting NEET-UG attempt numbers. Unlike the current system that allows unlimited tries, a cap on attempts could foster greater preparation and limit excessive retries.

    Overall, these proposed reforms from the Radhakrishnan committee reflect a multi-pronged approach to secure, streamline, and modernize India’s high-stakes examination framework, ensuring a fair and efficient system for future candidates.

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  • Ex-Tory MP reprimanded for ‘brazen’ sexual misconduct

    Ex-Tory MP reprimanded for ‘brazen’ sexual misconduct

    A former Conservative MP has been reprimanded for “brazen and drunken” sexual misconduct in one of parliament’s bars.

    Aaron Bell, who was the Tory MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme until July, was found by a parliamentary watchdog to have “abused his position of power” by touching a woman “on her left thigh, waist and bottom inappropriately and without her consent”.

    The incident took place in parliament’s Strangers’ bar in December 2023.

    The independent expert panel (IEP), which decides on sanctions for those found guilty of misconduct, said it would have considered suspending Bell from parliament “for a significant period” if he were still an MP.

    In a statement responding to the IEP’s report, Bell apologised “for any upset caused to the complainant” and to his former constituents, and said the investigation was one of the reasons he chose not to seek re-election this summer.

    The report said Bell had “abused his position of power over the complainant” as he was considerably older than her, an elected MP and government whip. It said the complainant, a young female member of staff, “felt targeted” and feared “considerable adverse impacts on her career if she made a complaint”.

    The Mirror reported last month that onlookers had spotted Bell being escorted out of a party at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham.

    The IEP’s report follows a complaint made to parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme in February 2024, which was upheld after an investigation.

    In a statement issued via the Conservative party, he said: “I am disappointed at the outcome of the investigation but have chosen not to appeal the findings of the commissioner. I apologise for any upset caused to the complainant and wish to make it clear that I did not intend to cause any distress. This investigation was one of the reasons I chose not to seek re-election at the general election – I have let down the loyal members of my association and thank them for the support they gave me as a Member of Parliament. I would also like to apologise to the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme, whom it was an honour to serve. This has been a difficult time for my family and I would ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”

  • Maha Battle Lines Drawn

    Maha Battle Lines Drawn

    Nearly 8,000 candidates, including those from major political parties in ruling as well as opposition camps, have filed their nominations for the 288 assembly seats

    The BJP is contesting in 148 assembly seats in Maharashtra, the highest among half a dozen major political parties in the ruling and opposition camps, followed by the Congress on 103 as the filing of nominations ended on Tuesday.

    Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded candidates on 80 seats, while Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s NCP has nominated 53 contestants for the November 20 polls to the 288-member state assembly.

    Five seats were given to other Mahayuti allies while no decision was taken on two segments. In the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Congress is contesting on 103 seats followed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on 89 and NCP (SP) on 87 seats. Six seats were given to other MVA allies, while there was no clarity on three assembly segments.

    Nearly 8,000 candidates, including those from major political parties in ruling as well as opposition camps, have filed their nominations for the 288 assembly seats. As many as 7,995 candidates have filed 10,905 nominations with the Election Commission (EC) for the November 20 polls, said a statement issued by the office of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

    Filing of nominations by candidates began on October 22 and the process ended on October 29. The verification and scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on October 30 and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is November 4 (till 3 pm).

    Polling will take place on November 20 and votes will be counted three days later. The ruling Mahayuti and the opposition MVA are the main contenders for power.

    Meanwhile, as many as 1,648 complaints of violation of the code of conduct were received on the C-Vigil application from October 15 to 29, out of which 1,646 have been resolved by the Election Commission, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office stated.

    The C-Vigil App, which helps vigilant citizens to follow the code of conduct, can be downloaded from any app store. Through this app, citizens can register complaints of violations of the code of conduct.

    After the complaint is registered, appropriate action is taken after investigation by the concerned team, it said.

    Meanwhile, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance as well the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are gearing up and leaving no stone unturned for the assembly polls.

    Mahayuti is the alliance of Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). While, MVA is the coalition of Shiv Sena (UBT) (Uddhav Thackeray faction), NCP (SCP) (Sharad Pawar faction) and the Congress party.

    In a major development on Tuesday, NCP fielded Nawab Malik as the candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, a seat that is already with the BJP leader Kirit Somaiya

    A new challenge has emerged in front of the Mahayuti alliance after the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) fielded Nawab Malik as its candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, a seat that is already with the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya pushing the case of Shiv Sena’s Suresh Krishna Patil as the ‘official’ candidate on the same seat.

    Nawab Malik on Tuesday filed his nomination from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency as an NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

    Notably, the seat is currently held by Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi, who is the party’s state chief.

    After filing the nomination, Nawab Malik told ANI, “Today, I filed a nomination from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Vidhan Sabha constituency as an NCP candidate. I had filed the form as an Independent candidate also. But the party has sent the AB form and we submitted it at 2.55 pm and now I am the official candidate of NCP.”

    Nawab Malik, a two-time MLA from Anushakti Nagar, had earlier announced that he would contest from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency as an independent candidate after being denied a ticket by the NCP due to pressure by alliance partner BJP.

    Sana Malik, daughter of Nawab Malik is contesting from the Anushakti Nagar assembly seat as an NCP candidate (Ajit Pawar).

    Although NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is locked in a direct fight against his nephew and NCP(SP) nominee Yogendra Pawar on his home turf, Baramati, he has joined hands with BJP and Shiv Sena to checkmate his another nephew and Sharad Pawar faction nominee Rohit Pawar from Karjat-Jamkhed constituency in Ahilyanagar district (erstwhile Ahmednagar).

    With this, Ajit Pawar is gearing up for a fight against two nephews — Yogendra Pawar and Rohit Pawar.

    NCP insiders said that while Ajit Pawar is leaving no stone unturned for his victory in Baramati, he is also making all efforts to corner Rohit Pawar, who is pitted against the BJP nominee and former Minister Ram Shinde. In Baramati, his trump card is development while in Karjat-Jamkhed, Ajit Pawar will sing BJP’s tune of a fight between an outsider Rohit Pawar and a ‘bhoomiputra (son of the soil)’ Ram Shinde.

    Rohit Pawar, who hails from Baramati, was elected from Karjat-Jamkhed in the 2019 Assembly elections by defeating Ram Shinde from the same constituency. Thereafter, the BJP rehabilitated Ram Shinde and nominated him to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

  • Stark choice between Trump and Harris

    Stark choice between Trump and Harris

    Harris vows to put country over party and warned that Trump is obsessed with revenge and his own personal interests

    In the shadow of the White House, seven days before the final votes of the 2024 election are cast, Kamala Harris vowed to put country over party and warned that Donald Trump is obsessed with revenge and his own personal interests.

    Less than 48 hours earlier inside Madison Square Garden, Trump called his Democratic opponent “a trainwreck who has destroyed everything in her path.” His allies on stage labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” and said Harris, who would be the first woman to be president, had begun her career as a prostitute.

    Two nights and 200 miles apart, the dueling closing arguments outlined in stark terms the choice U.S. voters face on Nov. 5 when they will weigh two very different visions of leadership and America’s future.

    Trump’s raucous rally, marked by crude and racist insults, highlighted the uglier elements of his coalition. But other parts of it underscored the former businessman’s appeal as someone who vows to fix the economy and the border, and as a political outsider eager to defy any and all conventions despite the risks.

    Harris, the vice president for the last four years, chose a more formal setting — the grassy Ellipse near the White House — to underscore the seriousness of this moment in American history and the threat Trump poses to democracy. She faced a massive audience in the same place where Trump addressed thousands of his loyalists on Jan. 6, 2021, before they stormed the U.S. Capitol in one of the darkest days of modern history.

    But more than simply reminding voters of the danger that Trump poses to U.S. democracy, Harris’ remarks were designed to highlight her opponent’s record of prioritizing his personal interests instead of the nation’s.

    “Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other. That’s who he is. But America, I am here tonight to say: That’s not who we are,” Harris said. “I pledge to be a president for all Americans — to always put country above party and above self.”

    Senior adviser Jen O’Malley Dillon noted that Harris’ closing argument is designed to reach the narrow slice of undecided voters; many moderate Republicans are among them.

    “We know that there are still a lot of voters out there that are still trying to decide who to support — or whether to vote at all,” O’Malley Dillon said. “And this race is extremely close. We talk about it as a margin of error race. We know it is going to be closed out in this final week.”

    Trump’s team is more focused on energizing his partisan base and reaching infrequent voters across the political spectrum who are frustrated by the direction of the country and looking for change.

    Still, Trump framed his comments in recent days with a simple question that cuts across political lines, asking voters whether they are better off now than they were four years ago at the end of his first term. While the nation was still in the throes of the pandemic when Trump left office, polls indicate that most voters are unhappy with the direction of the country today.

    Trump has vowed to stage the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and impose broad tariffs to generate revenue and boost American manufacturing.

    Ever defiant facing criticism from even some Republicans, Trump on Tuesday called his Madison Square Garden event “a lovefest” and did not address the comments of pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Hinchcliffe also made demeaning jokes about Black people, other Latinos, Palestinians and Jews in his routine before Trump took the stage.

    “Nobody’s ever had love like that,” Trump said of the hours-long Sunday event that featured his family members and high-level surrogates and supporters including billionaire Elon Musk, TV psychologist “Dr. Phil” McGraw and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “It was really love for our country.”

    The Republican former president on Tuesday also offered a dark assessment of Harris’ leadership. He said that she “obliterated” the nation’s borders, “decimated the middle class,” brought “bloodshed and squalor” to major cities and “unleashed war and chaos all over the world.”

    “No person who has caused so much destruction and death at home and abroad should ever be allowed to be the president of the United States,” Trump told dozens of supporters who gathered at his Florida estate.

    Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said Trump has made clear his plans to fix the economy, secure the southern border and “improve people’s daily lives.”

    “Kamala Harris hasn’t done any of that,” he said. “It’s a message of despair, personal attacks and nothing from Harris or her campaign about what they’re actually going to do to help Americans. So it’s a massive contrast.”

    Harris has largely moved on from the “joyful” campaigning style that defined her entrance into the presidential contest this summer. She pledged unity on Tuesday night, but she also cast Trump as someone driven more by revenge and grievance than a commitment to the people.

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  • Reeves Tastes Speaker’s Fury

    Reeves Tastes Speaker’s Fury

    Alluding to previous breaches of parliamentary rules, Lindsay noted that, when in opposition, Labour would complain about the previous Conservative government behaving in a similar manner…reports Asian Lite News

    Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has reprimanded Chancellor Rachel Reeves for giving interviews to reporters in the US about her upcoming Budget. Parliamentary rules say major government announcements should be made to MPs in the Commons, ahead of journalists.

    An exasperated Lindsay said failing to do so was a “supreme discourtesy to the House” and he was “very, very disappointed” with Reeves. Responding to the criticism, the prime minister’s spokesman said it was “entirely routine for government to make announcements in the run-up to Budgets and spending reviews”. He added that Parliament would have “all the requisite time to scrutinise measures clearly”.

    Last Friday, she outlined her plan to “change the way that we we measure debt” during a meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington. She explained she planned a technical change to loosen self-imposed limits on borrowing, to free up billions of pounds extra for infrastructure spending on projects such as roads, railways and hospitals.

    The government has promised to get debt falling as share of the economy during the course of this parliament, rather than over a rolling five-year period. Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Sir Lindsay said the policy changes “could hardly be described as a leak” when she had given on-the-record interviews.

    He said: “Ministers should expect to face proper, sustained scrutiny when these announcements are made to the elected members of this House and not the American news channels.”

    This was because Reeves’ comments were major new policy announcements with “significant and wide-ranging implications for the government’s fiscal policy and for the public finances”, he added. The Speaker said this was “totally unacceptable” and asked why Reeves expected MPs to wait “almost a week” simply to hear her repeat her announcements in her Budget statement.

    MPs might be wondering, he added, “how they will get a seat on Wednesday. Well, to be honest the way it’s going you won’t need to – we’ll have all heard it.” With Treasury minister Darren Jones making a statement to the House on “fiscal rules” later on Monday, the Speaker remarked: “Perhaps no coincidence.”

    Alluding to previous breaches of parliamentary rules, Lindsay noted that, when in opposition, Labour would complain about the previous Conservative government behaving in a similar manner, and demanded: “Get your acts together, all sides, treat Members with respect.”

    Reeves urged not to cut Sellafield funds

    Rachel Reeves has been urged not to carry out mooted funding cuts for nuclear sites including Sellafield amid safety concerns, as it emerged that the number of incidents where workers narrowly avoided harm had increased at the Cumbrian site.

    The GMB union has written to Reeves, the chancellor, before Wednesday’s budget to raise safety concerns after rumours emerged that the budget for the taxpayer-owned Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) could be reduced, which could result in cuts at nuclear sites including Sellafield and Dounreay in Scotland.

    In the letter to Reeves, seen by the Guardian, union leaders warned that a safety incident at Sellafield, Europe’s most hazardous industrial site, would “have devastating consequences far beyond the immediate community”. The NDA had a budget of £4bn in the last financial year.

    The warning came as recently released annual accounts for the NDA showed “near misses” at Sellafield had risen in the last financial year, and an “international nuclear event-scale” incident had occurred at the site, which is a vast dump for nuclear waste and also the world’s largest store of plutonium.

    The NDA said there was an “inadequate response” during an incident in 2023 as some staff did not follow procedures when an emergency alarm unexpectedly sounded inside the site’s hazardous chemical separation area.

    The report also said Sellafield, which employs 12,000 people, had received six enforcement letters from its regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and that in studying its safety record the “rate of significant near misses is higher across 2023-24”.

    It found that the impact on employees from work injuries had “often been significant” even if many of the incidents had appeared innocuous.

    In the letter, Denise Walker and Roger Denwood, of the GMB, wrote: “While operators and regulators work tirelessly to ensure safety, the inherent risks of the site mean that any lapse in safety standards could result in serious and far-reaching economic and ecological consequences.”

    They said radioactive “materials must be safely managed to prevent leaks or accidental releases of radiation. The health risks of radiation exposure, including cancer and other serious illnesses, are well documented.”

    They added: “Any reduction in funding would inevitably result in fewer resources for maintenance, monitoring, and emergency preparedness-heightening the risk of a serious incident.”

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  • NCP-SP releases list of 7 candidates

    NCP-SP releases list of 7 candidates

    The party has named Prabhakar Gharge from Man, Arunadevi Pisal from Vai, and Vaibhav Patil from Khanapur. With this, the party has announced candidates for 83 seats….reports Asian Lite News

    The Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) has released their latest list of seven candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

    The list includes the name of Salil Deshmukh, son of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who will contest from the Katol constituency.

    The party has named Prabhakar Gharge from Man, Arunadevi Pisal from Vai, and Vaibhav Patil from Khanapur. With this, the party has announced candidates for 83 seats.

    Meanwhile, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would form the government in Maharashtra in the interest of the people.

    “Our Alliance will work to resolve the issues. Issues like inflation, unemployment, various questions of farmers, women, adivasis, the poor,” he said.

    He also criticised the Mahayuti ruling alliance for not resolving the issues of the people.

    “We want to change the government in Maharashtra there are lot of issues of the people of Maharashtra are pending because that has not been resolved by the people who are in power currently. We will take all the issues in front of people of Maharashtra and prepare them for the change in Maharashtra”, he added.

    Further criticising the Ladli Behna Yojna of the government, he said that people only remember this scheme because it was announced recently.

    “Government only remembered Ladli Bahan and Bhai on the face of election all the facilities announced in last three four months…people will not accept this they teach them lesson in this election they did in loksabha,” he said.

    The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23.

    In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42. (ANI)

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  • Musk Takes Center Stage in Trump’s Campaign

    Musk Takes Center Stage in Trump’s Campaign

    Trump has announced that he would be appointing the 53-year-old South Africa-born entrepreneur as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which he has proposed to reduce federal spending…reports Asian Lite News

    Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has emerged as both a surrogate for Donald Trump and a lightning rod for the Republican’s campaign.

    The CEO of electric carmaker Tesla, and Space X, which has set its sight on human colonies on Mars, and with a controlling interest in the social media platform X that was once known as Twitter, as well as a slew of tech and science companies, Musk has been out campaigning for and with Donald Trump.

    In an unlikely partnership, the global warming sceptic and the prolific maker of electric cars have taken a shine to each other and Trump waxes eloquent on the technological accomplishments of Musk, especially his rockets, making hand gestures to show how his Starship booster rocket safely landed.

    But in many of his campaign speeches, Trump has ridiculed the performance of electric cars, which provided the liftoff to Musk’s other enterprises, because President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have ensured tax breaks for those buying it as a way of fighting climate change.

    Trump has announced that he would be appointing the 53-year-old South Africa-born entrepreneur as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which he has proposed to reduce federal spending.

    On Sunday at a campaign rally here, Musk said he would cut $2 trillion from the government’s $6.5 billion budget.

    Democrats portray Musk as the stalking horse for billionaires’ take over of government and eviscerating its social programmes while adopting policies that would hit the middle and poorer classes hard.

    Musk, who bought Twitter for about $45 billion in 2022 and renamed it X, allowed Trump who had been banned from it back on and loosened restrictions on postings asserting that it was in the cause of free speech.

    Many protested and threatened to leave X, but as one of the biggest megaphones for both political propaganda and misinformation, it continues to host President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign, as well as many liberals and the Left.

    Just as its ubiquity immunised X, Musk’s bet is that if Harris wins his government contracts would be difficult to unravel because they are deeply embedded in its programmes from space and defence to international aid and emergency preparedness. And, of course, in furthering its fight against climate change through e-vehicles and electricity storage systems.

    Musk is donating $200 million to a political action committee, America PAC, that he has set up to help Trump’s victory, using a legal loophole that permits it as long as there is no direct link to candidate Trump.

    The committee, which has attracted contributions from other businesspeople, is organisating house-to-house campaigns, promoting voter registration, and running advertising for Trump and against Harris.

    A bundle of nervous energy who prances on stage like a kid, the eccentric entrepreneur has been campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania, a state crucial for victory, holding rallies where politics mixes with far-out science and artificial intelligence.

    One of his gimmicks is a lottery for voters in the seven swing states that could determine the election outcome, with a prize of $1 million drawn every day for those who sign a statement supporting the Constitution.

    This may sound innocuous, but to the Democrats, it is insidious and illegal.

    President Joe Biden called it “totally inappropriate”.

    The Justice Department has warned him that it could be illegal and the Philadelphia prosecutor has sued to halt it, asserting that it was his duty to prevent “interference with the integrity of elections”.

    Musk, who supports Trump’s campaign against illegal migrants, has been accused by Biden of being one himself because, the president alleged, Musk had started working while on a student visa.

    That relates to his work founding a software company that got him $22 million when it was sold seeding his other ventures.

    Although he did not pursue studies at Stanford which got him his student visa, Musk has said that he transitioned to an H-1B work visa by then.

    A Wall Street Journal report that Musk has been in regular contact with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has drawn condemnation, and the head of NASA said it should be investigated because of Musk companies contracts are with the government departments.

    Musk’s Space X has a NASA contract under the Artemis programme to fly astronauts around the moon next year and land them in 2026.

    California states’ Coastal Commission turned down a proposal by SpaceX to increase the number of rocket launches.

    Musk is suing them asserting that it was motivated by politics.

    Trump and Musk share the ideologies of laissez-faire capitalism and of reducing the scope of government (while also benefitting from it), but they also have some personal parallels — they are both much married, three times each, although Musk divorced his third wife; they have been sued for sexual harassment, and they both are known for their vulgarity.

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